position for birth

As your baby grows to about 28 weeks in the womb, she/he will run out of room to play and kick and you may notice a bit less activity. Someplace around week 35 or 36, your baby will turn into the ‘heads down’ position for birth and you may notice that the bulge in your abdomen ‘drops’ lower.

This will put even more pressure on your bladder and you will feel like you are running to the bathroom every five minutes, though you will welcome the relief of pressure on your rib cage.

Though your baby’s movement has slowed, you should still feel the baby moving about 10 times within a 2 hr period. If you do not feel movement during a reasonably long time period and you are concerned, call your doctor immediately.

But be aware that there may be no problem. Your baby may be sleeping during that time. If your doctor feels the need to monitor your child, he may suggest a non-stress test to determine the baby’s heart rate and ensure that the baby is not in any distress.

During your late pregnancy, your doctor may advise a urine test or a glucose tolerance test if you have a family history of diabetes or if your blood sugar has been high.

In these last few months you may notice more problems with digestion and heartburn, simply because there is less space for your body to do its work. Be sure to drink plenty of water and try to eat small amounts more often so you are not overstuffed. Take a walk after you eat to stimulate digestion.

Some pregnant women sleep in a ‘propped’ position or support themselves with pillows to allow better digestion and to relieve discomfort.

During your last weeks of pregnancy you will probably align your sleep patterns to those of your baby. By now, you are hopefully on maternity leave and if you have difficulty getting enough rest, you may want to try to nap when you feel the need.
Your baby is likely to squirm when you lie down. This is because he can adjust and take a bit more space for himself when you are lying down, so let him get comfortable after you get comfortable.

In order to improve your sleep, eat a light meal at dinner time so you don’t feel stuffed, and try taking a walk after dinner.

Take a warm (not extremely hot) bath before bed and stretch a little to loosen your muscles. Listen to relaxing music and be sure the room is dark so you can sleep.
It is common for pregnant women to experience painless Braxton-Hicks contractions during the last few months of pregnancy. These do not signal labor, but instead will fade and disappear.

Some changes you WILL note that indicate you are getting closer:

Your doctor may report that your cervix is thinner and is starting to dilate. This doesn’t mean you are going to the hospital at that moment, though. You may wait for a few days before it is time.

You may see a small amount of pink or red jelly-like stain indicated that the plug that seals off the mouth of the uterus has come loose. Labor may still be a few days off but let your doctor know that this has happened.

Remember that your baby will give your body the signal when he/she is ready to be born. A complex set of hormonal changes will take place to soften the cervix and start contractions that will push the baby out into the world.

If you go well beyond your due date, your doctor may suggest keeping a ‘kick count’ to see how active your baby is over a certain number of hours. Or he may suggest a sonogram to measure amniotic fluid, and fetal activity.

If you are past 40 weeks gestation, your doctor MAY suggest that you induce labor, though most doctors prefer to wait for the baby’s signal. However, if your baby is in distress or if your pregnancy is protracted and causing you health problems, induction may be necessary.

Your doctor will check you into the hospital and give you medication to start or enhance contractions and to get the process moving.

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